Shadow Dictionaries: The Silent Battle for Ukrainian Synonyms

• In Event: Dynamics of Russification and Cultural Amnesia in Soviet Ukraine

Abstract

This paper explores the lexicographical treatment of synonyms in Soviet Ukraine, focusing on the deliberate suppression of lexical diversity as a tool of linguistic and cultural control. Soviet-era dictionaries systematically eliminated or marginalized Ukrainian synonyms to impose a standardized, restricted vocabulary, aligning with broader Russification policies aimed at language assimilation and the erosion of Ukrainian’s distinctiveness. However, beyond official lexicography, writers, translators, and language enthusiasts—some even working in the Gulag—made tremendous efforts to reclaim lost words, compile alternative dictionaries, and preserve the linguistic heritage erased by state policies. By examining these "shadow dictionaries," this paper highlights the resilience of linguistic memory and the enduring efforts to restore Ukraine’s authentic lexical richness

Author

• Valentyna Savchyn, Lund U (Sweden)